|
Tanzania`s second treason trial (13)
2007-10-18 09:52:17
By BERNARD MAPALALA
The 1983 treason trial took more than a year. Before the court, as we have told you earlier, were 19 defendants, most of them army officers.
The High Court trial was presided over by Judge Kiongozi Nassoro Mnzavas.
Today, our narrates the diatribe that took place between Defence lawyer Thomas Mkude and the star prosecution witness, Mr X, as to why the top ranking security officer did not inform the Director of National Intelligence, who was away in Butiama, that he (Mr X) had ordered an immediate arrest of the treason trial suspects in Dar es Salaam. Why was the director kept in the dark? Read on:
The role played by Mr X—a high ranking national security officer—in suppressing the alleged coup plot which was said to have been set for execution on January 8, 1983, continued to be a subject of court debate when Advocate Thomas Mkude for fourth accused Captain in Metusela Suleiman Kamando (37), fifth accused Captain Vitalis Gabriel Mapunda (36), and sixth accused Captain Roderick Ronsham Roberts 40 took over the cross-examination.
The issue cropped up when Advocate Mkude asked Mr X as to why he had advised the top officials of the Army Intelligence unit on January 4, 1983, not to arrest Captain Tamimu, who was reported to be a dangerous commando and one of the key conspirators.
Mkude: Before you met (TPDF Sergeant) Temu, you met the top brass of the army intelligence unit and they told you they were on the way to arrest (Captain) Tamimu.
You said lala! `Do you want to die?` You advised them not to arrest him on that date.
Come January 6, 1983 Mhando (the taxi driver cum informer) told you that he had an assignment to drive first accused MacGhee in a hunt for (walkie-talkie) batteries, although you had already conducted investigations in both Arusha and Dar es Salaam but found out that there were no weapons.
Do you mean to say that the batteries were the weapons in question? And these people (the suspects), did you investigate that any one of them was armed?
Mr X: Yes.
Mkude: So the process continued until January 6, and you advised that the suspects should be rounded up, even though the Director of Intelligence was away on a journey?
Mr X: Yes.
Mkude: You had originally advised that they should be arrested and he (the national director) agreed. After making all those plans, the police squad did not turn up at Oysterbay?
Mr X: Yes.
Mkude: You then advised that `let us do the job ourselves,` and truly you did. The armed coup did not take place and we are thanking you for that.
You will therefore agree with me that if there is a person whom we have to thank on this issue alongside the others it is you, because you played the prime role.
Mr X: The system worked. That is all.
Mkude: Yes, but what I am saying is that there were others. However, the part that you played was bigger.
Mr X: That is your opinion.
Mkude: Do you concur with that opinion?
Mr X: I was simply doing my work.
Mkude: But you are an employee, and every worker has got ambitions, isn`t it? A worker must have ambition which serves as motivation. Without motivation, you may neglect your duty, is that not true?
Mr X: I was compelled by duty to do so.
Mkude: Now I am asking you. After all these events in which you took part, starting from December until January 7, in spite of the fact that your boys committed murder, the revolution did not take place. Isn`t it?
Mr X: Yes.
Mkude: I am telling you that you played a big part in making the conspiracy fail, even though there were others like `C` and `X`—that is you—and the rest that you have mentioned.
Will you agree with what I am saying or you don’t want to take credit?
Judge Kiongozi: Not me alone. I can`t work on my own.
Mkude: Although many of you took part in the operation, you did more than the rest. Yes or no?
Mr X: Right.
The argument then turned on Sergeant Temu`s evidence. Sergeant Boniface Temu was a TPDF soldier who was regarded as one of the conspirators, but went to the State House and revealed all the plans to Mr X at midnight on January 4.
According to Mr X, Temu had told him that the coup had been set to be executed on January 8, 1983. Asked by Advocate Mkude as to where Temu got this information, Mr X replied that Temu was told by Captain Mbogoro.
Given the fact that January 8, was only four days since the day he was told by Temu, Advocate Mkude asked Mr X whether he believed that the information was credible.
Mr X: replied that it was.
Mkude: How many years have you been on this job?
Mr X: Since 1983.
Mkude: That is ten years.
Mr X: Yes.
Mkude: So you took for granted that the coup would take place on January 8, and you waited until January 6 to begin the arrests. Did you really believe that January 8 was the earmarked day?
Mr X: That was the day when the President (Nyerere) would be returning from Butiama.
Mkude: So you believed that the coup would take place simply because the President was returning from Butiama?
Mr X: That`s what they planned. I was told that they had set January 8 because they expected that the President would have returned (to Dar es Salaam).
Mkude: Did you know when the President would return?
Mr X: I knew according to his programme.
Mkude: What was the set date of his returning?
Mr X: January 10.
Mkude: So you saw that there was a breathing space if they (the conspirators) thought that he would be back on the 10th or…
Mr X: no.
Mkude: But you heard that
Mr X: In spite of the fact that I knew that date, I have explained here that it all depended on the President himself. He could choose to come back on the 10th or
Mkude: Any other time?
Mr X: As he would wish.
Mkude: What I am asking you; how did you assess the January 8 date given to you by Temu? Did you believe that you could sleep soundly on the 5th, and then be busy on the 6th and 7th?
Mr X: That was the possible date for executing the coup plot, but it could possibly take place earlier.
Mkude told Mr X that he had originally discouraged the idea of conducting immediate arrests, until he was told by Abdallah Mhando that that the conspirators were in possession of walkie talkie batteries.
However, Mr X disputed the fact that the conspirators had succeeded to get the batteries, but what Abdallah Mhando had actually told him was that they were hell-bent to get the batteries and would do so by hooks and crooks.
For that reason, Mr X revoked his earlier decision and opted for Tamimu`s immediate arrest.
Mkude: And this was what made you revoke your decision to do a follow up on Tamimu, get more evidence, so that you would begin conducting the arrests?
Mr X: The totality of available reports and the department`s assessment at that time indicated that those people (the plotters) were serious.
Mkude: Were you the one who advised (that the arrests should start)?
Mr X: Yes.
Mkude: Did you advise `C` (Mr X`s immediate boss).
Mr X: Yes.
Mkude: In the absence of the (National Security) Director?
Mr X: Yes.
Mkude: How come that you had this information, but waited until the director had left, so that you could do your own thing in his absence?
Mr X: That`s not correct.
Mkude: Is that how you work?
Mr X: Not that way.
Mkude: When the director had left, did you know where he had gone?
Mr X: Yes. He went to Butiama.
Mkude: Butiama is a village, sir!
Mr X: He went there to see the President.
Mkude: Eh! Now you are talking. And when he was away, he knew the stance was `No arrests.`
Mr X: Yes.
Mkude: So the decision which you took on January 6, you wanted all the praises to be showered on you. You wanted to become a national hero?
Mr X: No.
Mkude: Why did you not involve your boss?
Mr X: No.
Mkude: Don’t you know that there is a direct communication between State House and Butiama?
Mr X: It is there.
Mkude: So what made it difficult for you to consult your senior, even if the issue was only about a wedding. Why did you fail?
Mr X: (Silence.)
|
